Flying-machine.



Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

J. A. BLONDIN.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1910.

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JOSEPH A. BLONDIN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

' FLYING-MACHINE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Application filed November 16, 1910. .Serial 1T0. 592,739.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. BLoNmN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Flying-Machines, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to improvements in flying machines; and more particularly to the starting and alighting, or running gear of the same; and it has for its object to provide improvements of the character stated which will be superior in point of relative simplicity and inexpensiveness of construction, positiveness of operation, durability, and general efficiency, and which may be effectively utilized in initiating flight by causing the supporting structures upon which the atmosphere reacts to take the air with a relatively increased angle of incidence.

The subject matter of the present invention, which consists-in-the novel provision, formation, construction,- combination and association of parts, members and features hereinafter described, illustrated; and claimed, was originally disclosed in an application for Letters Patent filed by me Aug. 8, 1910, for flying machines, Serial No. 57 6,211.

In the drawing :-Figure .1 is a side elevation of a flying machine provided with startingand alighting, or running gear, con-.

structed and organized in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2is a front end elevation of the same; and, Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view, partly in full lines for clearness of illustration, and parts being omitted for clearness of illustration, taken upon the line' ar-a, Fig. 1; the same being upon an enlarged scale. 7

Corresponding parts in-all the figures are denoted by the same reference characters.

Referring with particularity to the drawing, A and B designate respectively supporting structures upon which the atmosphere re-acts to sustain the flying machine, shown in the drawing, inflight, the same being provided adjacent to their outer end portions with balancing ailerons, a and I) respectively.

C' designates a vertical rudder, and D designates an elevator, the operation and function of each of which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, as well as the balancing ailerons w and b.

E designates propelling means for the machine, and F designates starting and alighting, or running gear embodying the present invention, all of the other parts, members and features being merely incidental, and illustrated and disclosed as main features of flying machine construction. The gear F comprises two members, a wheeled member 6, and a skid member f, the same being mounted for relative movement in connection with the flying machine body or car G, and extending forwardly and rearwardly beyond the same, the elevator D being mounted upon the forward projecting portion of the gear F, and the rudder C being mounted upon the rearward projecting portion of said gear F. Relative movement of the members 6 and f is preferably caused by positive actuation of the wheeled member 6, through controlling means H, the wheeled member 6 being movably mounted in connection with the skid member f, which latter is directly connected with the body or car G. The controlling means H is preferably located within the body or car G, within which the aviator takes his station. A The skid member f of' the gear F is built p of triangular truss factors, constructed of suitably connected frame rods 24, the entire skid construction broadening laterally in downward projection, in spaced portions, and being connected with the-body G in such suitable manner asfshall permit of the forward and rearward projecting portions of the skid to be detached and compactly packed within the central portion of the skid construct-ion for shipment or storage. The skid construction may bejointed in any suitable manner, not shown, to this end. The wheeled member (2 of the gearF comprises transversely arranged spaced wheels 25 carried upon a triangular frame 26 adapted to be -moved substantially vertically by the controlling means H; the frame 26 being movably connected with the skid member f by link armsf27,'confining the frame and the wheels in their movement and bracing the entirety substantially fore and aft, as well as laterally. 'From the upper end of the frame 26 extends a shaft 28 guided in a sleeve 29 fixed to the frame of the body G, and in transverse braces 30 and31 within said body. The upper end of the shaft 28 is 110 threaded as at 32, and a hand wheel 33 is mounted upon the same, having threaded engagement therewith, between the braces 30 and 31, and whereby the shaft 28 may be vertically adjusted to raise or lower the wheeled member 6, in the operation of the controlling means H.

The rudder C is fixed upon a rudder post 42 mounted at the rearward end of the skid member f. A wheeled steering element 0 is provided in connection with the rudder C, and comprises a small wheel 46 which is mounted upon the lower end of the rudder post 42, and is normally out of contact with the ground, being only so. in contact when the wheels 25 of the member e are depressed and the skid member f is raised clear of the ground. The skid member f, between the wheels 25 and the wheel 46, includes curved or downwardly bowed ortions 47, which act as rockers, one at eac side portion of the skid.

The operation, method of use and advantages of the improvements constituting the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and the following statement :--In starting the operation of the flying machine, or in initiating flight, the wheeled member 6 is depressed through the controlling means H, rocking the skid member f and the entire machine rearwardly, upon the rocker portions 47 of the skid member, until the entire skid member is raised from the ground and the machine is entirely supported upon the wheels 25 and 46. The wheel 46 is at all times higher than the wheels 25, which are themovable wheels, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The wheels 25 and 46 when out of operation are in the positions shown in full lines and the operative positions are those indicated by dot-ted lines. As the machine rocks rearwardly upon its skid rockers 47 the weight is entirely received by the wheels 25 and 46 and the skid members are raised from the ground so that the machine may travel forwardly upon the wheels in initiating flight-,andwhereby the working angle of incidence of the atmosphere upon the supporting structures and the surfaces thereof is increased, giving more lifting power to the supporting structures. After the machine has left the ground, or before the descent to the ground, the .wheeled support e is elevated, by the controlling means H, so that the machine returns to the ground upon the skid member f which frictionally terminates the movement of the machine. used in initiating flight, and are notsubject to the disruptive and racking effects of receiving the impact of the descending machine-and acting to partially or wholly support it during the period of terminating motion. Durin use of the wheel 46, the same may be utilized to steer the machine by turning the rudder post 42 in utilizing the controlling means for the rudder O.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the specific provision, construction, combination, association and relative arrangement of parts, members and features shown and described; but reserve the right to vary the same in adaptingthe improvements to varying conditions of use wlthout departing from the spirit of the invention and the terms of the following claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Paten 2- A flying machine provided with a supporting structure arranged for co-actio'n with the atmosphere to support the machine in flight, and with a relatively movable skid and wheeled support, the skid being provided with a wheel spaced from the wheeled support and normally out of ground contact, and the skid having a curved portion be tween the wheeled support and said wheel upon the skid; and means for relatively moving the skid and the wheeled support to rock the machine upon the curved portion of the skid and transfer the weight ofthe machine from the skid to the wheeled support and the wheel. upon the skid and whereby the working angle of incidence of the atmosphere upon the said supporting structure is increased.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. v

. JOSEPH A. BLONDIN. Witnesses: 1

C. D. WARDEN, RAYMOND I. BLAKESLEE.

Thus the wheels are only 

